Case finds dental patients agreeable to tobacco interventions

Patients want help in kicking the habit

Dental patients don’t mind if their dentists give them a nudge
to stop using tobacco products, according to the findings of survey
conducted at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine.

Robert Lewis, a second-year dental student at Case, asked 594 patients
to answer 22 questions about their tobacco use and also thoughts about
having their doctor or dentist intervene to help them stop their use
of tobacco products. The respondents were visiting Case’s dental
clinic where students from the dental school receive their clinical
training.

Lewis will present findings from the study, “Dental Patients
Who Use Tobacco: Attitudes Toward Tobacco Cessation Promotion” for
the International Association of Dental Research and the American Association
for Dental Research’s annual meeting, March 9-12, in Baltimore,
Md. He is the lead investigator on the study with Kristin Victoroff,
D.D.S, Case assistant professor of community dentistry. The research
was supported by an American Cancer Society Joseph Silber Student Fellowship,
awarded to Lewis for summer research.

Seventy-one percent or 422 people responded.

Of those approximately 29% or 122 patients currently use tobacco, which
was reflective of the numbers of people (approximately 25%) nationwide
that smoke or chew tobacco. The majority (71%) was considering quitting
or was currently trying to quit.

Overwhelming the tobacco users felt their student dentist should ask
them about their tobacco usage (72%), tell them how tobacco can affect
oral health (periodontal disease or oral cancers) (88%), advise them
to quit (67%) and provide information on tobacco cessation when wanted
(89%).

While the patients liked having information from their dentist or
doctor about tobacco cessation programs, almost half (49%) had not discussed
the issue with their medical provider on their most recent visit.

What surprised the investigators was that nearly half (45%) of the
respondent were not aware of community resources available to help them
quit.

According to the investigators, the study was conducted to see whether
or not patients coming to the student clinic wanted information or their
student dentist’s help in breaking their smoking or chewing habits.
The information also provided an opportunity for Victoroff to incorporate
the findings in the dental classes she teaches and to strengthen the
need for dentists to overcome any hesitations they have about introducing
tobacco cessation information and advice during dental visits.

Victoroff added that public health guidelines encourage doctors and
dentists to inquire about tobacco use and to urge patients to give up
and break their tobacco use by providing them with information on how
to access programs that can offer interventions.

About Case Western Reserve University

Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826
and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western
Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research,
service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally
recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering,
Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.